


Strangers on a Train Platform

by thequidditchpitch_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Harry Potter Next Generation, Post War, Romance, The Quidditch Pitch: Eternity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-29
Updated: 2008-02-09
Packaged: 2018-10-27 13:05:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10809615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequidditchpitch_archivist/pseuds/thequidditchpitch_archivist
Summary: Lily Potter faces her first year at Hogwarts, living up to her Grandmother's name, and a cousin she has never met before.





	1. Strangers on a Train Platform

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).

Despite having been through the barrier at King’s Cross quite a few times in her eleven years, this was to be her first time without the aid of her parents and Lily Potter could barely keep her excitement contained. On the drive from home, she begged them to let her do this herself. She was finally old enough to be going off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and she wanted to start by showing them she didn’t need her hand held the entire way. Plus, Al and James had _dared_ her to. They still thought she was a baby that needed Mum and Dad’s help with _everything_. Going through the barrier by herself was going to show them that she was, in fact, a young woman and so, just a few moments before, her family had gone through the barrier and left the youngest Potter to get through on her own.

Steering her overloaded trolley toward the ticket barrier, Lily kept muttering to herself, “Just walk into it without stopping. Like it’s just another part of the platform.” As she approached the wall, Lily closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and broke into a slow run. Just as she was about to go through the barrier, she crashed and fell backwards into an unceremonious heap while her school trunk and owl cage went skittering to the platform floor. Her owl, Noncy, screeched his protests from his cage, garnering stares and shaking heads from other passengers on the main platform. All Lily could do was blush to the roots of her hair and stare at the ticket barrier that she had crashed into. Only it wasn’t a ticket barrier. It was a man large enough to be one.

He stood about six feet tall and had blond hair. He had muscles like the fighters Lily sometimes saw on a Muggle “rassling” show that her cousin Hugo liked to watch. He turned, slowly, to look at her; his face was almost purple with anger. As he glowered at Lily, she tried to stammer out an apology. “I … I …” The man looked at her as though he wanted nothing more than to stuff Lily into her own trunk. “I … I … I …” As she felt the tears welling up into her eyes, Lily thought to herself, _I just want to go home. I want my mum and dad._

“Daddy, I told you not to stand right there! Now look what you’ve done!” 

A smallish hand reached out to Lily. “Here, let me help you up.” 

Lily took the hand that was offered. Once again on her feet, she could see that the hand belonged to a very skinny girl with dishwater-blonde hair that fell to her shoulders and brilliant green eyes that seemed somehow familiar to Lily. The girl was dressed in a school uniform like the ones Lily saw Muggle school children wearing. 

“Thanks,” Lily said, dusting herself off. “And, sorry, er, Sir.” Lily bent down to straighten her trunk and put Noncy back on the trolley.

“Well, my dad shouldn’t have been just standing there in front of the ticket barrier.” The girl rolled her eyes. “Grandma told him how to get through it, but he didn’t believe it. I’m Petunia Dursley. This is my dad. Oh! You have an owl! You must be going to Hogwarts!” Petunia whispered the last word as Petunia’s father glanced around quickly to make sure no one else had heard.

“Uh … well, yes, I am. This is my first year. My parents and brothers already went through. My name is Lily Potter. Nice to meet you.” Lily bolstered herself up and tried to respond the way she thought her cousin Rose would. “I am very sorry for knocking into you like that, Mr. Dursley.”

Where Mr. Dursley’s face had been red and almost bursting with rage, now the man looked pale and drawn, with his mouth hanging open, his blue eyes staring widely at Lily. 

“Daddy! Quit gawking at her! Let’s just get through and onto the platform. I don’t want to be late.”

Lily grabbed hold of her trolley and said, “Okay, Petunia. Just walk into it without stopping. Like it’s just another part of the platform. Ready, Mr. Dursley?”

Petunia nodded her assent and Mr. Dursley said nothing, just kept on staring at Lily. 

“On the count of three then. One, two, THREE!” 

All three of them inhaled, held their breath, and walked through the wall onto platform nine and three-quarters.

* * *

 

Lily felt the wall close behind her and the two Dursley’s and quickly spotted her mum and dad standing with Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione next to the gleaming Hogwarts Express. She rushed right over to them, almost knocking a couple of third-years over in her haste.

“Mum! Dad! I did it! Through the wall! Um … hello? Mum? Dad?” Lily’s parents weren’t paying any attention to their youngest, who had just accomplished such an adult feat. Instead, they were staring over her head at Petunia, who was making her way through the crowd, dragging her very uncomfortable looking father behind her.

“Lily! Wait up!” Out of breath and overly-excited, Petunia walked up to the group. “Are these your parents? Hi, I’m Petunia Dursley. And this is my dad …”

“Dudders?” 

Petunia looked at Lily’s father in astonishment and giggled. “How funny! That’s what Grandma calls him!”

“Dad? You know Mr. Dursley?” Lily asked her father. 

“Yes, I do. Mr. Dursley is my cousin. He and I grew up together.” Lily’s father turned his attention to the small girl and his cousin. “Dudley. How are you? So, uh, you have a daughter, I see.”

“Err…yeah … it seems that my daughter is one of your …ahem … sorry … is a witch.” Mr. Dursley whispered the last three words of the sentence, and quickly glanced around to see if anyone had heard them. “So I was trying to get through to this blasted platform when your girl rammed her trolley into the back of my legs.”

Everyone looked at Lily, who was suddenly intent on staring at the tips of her shoes.

Mr. Dursley opened his mouth to reply when Petunia waved him away.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Lily. No harm done! Like I said, he shouldn’t have just been standing there anyway. My grandmother told us just to walk through it, but Dad didn’t trust that a ticket barrier could just give way. He tried to go through by himself a couple of times, but the barrier just didn’t work. I was just convincing him that he needed me with him to go through when Lily ran into him.” Petunia finished her speech without the slightest hitch of breath, leaving the Potters, the Weasleys, and Mr. Dursley staring at her. 

“So anyway, I’m Petunia and I just turned eleven years old and this is my first year at Hogwarts and I really hope to be sorted into Gryffindor, like my Great-Aunt Lily.” 

It wasn’t until Petunia mentioned her Great-Aunt Lily that Lily suddenly realized why Petunia’s eyes were so familiar. They were just like Grandma Lily’s. And Albus’. And her father’s. That deep emerald green that everyone always commented on. Grandpa Arthur always told Lily that he liked the golden brown eyes she had because they were just like Mummy’s and Grandma Molly’s. But Lily always thought it was kind of a mean trick that fate played on her; giving her Grandma Lily’s name, but not the one feature that Lily always felt should have been hers.

As Lily watched Petunia introduce herself to Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione, she heard Albus and James bickering as they came back to where the family was gathered. Her cousin Rose was walking just a few steps behind them with her nose in a book and Hugo was looking around expectantly. When he saw Lily, his face broke into a wide smile and he hurried his footsteps as he called out to her.

“Lily! What took you so long? We’ve already taken our trunks and everything onto the train.” Hugo looked over Lily’s shoulder. “Who’s that girl talking to your mum and dad? They just keep staring at her. Did she hex them?”

“That’s Petunia. I met her coming through the barrier. I think she’s a cousin of sorts. Her dad is that big, blond man. Dad said that he and Mr. Dursley grew up together.”

“Merlin’s beard! Dursley? Lily, don’t you pay attention to _anything_?” Rose finally pulled her nose out of her book.

“What do _you_ know about it, Rose? I don’t really think that Uncle Harry’s family tree is spelled out in your Herbology book. If Lily doesn’t know, how do you?”

“Because I actually _pay attention_ when people talk. If you weren’t so caught up in Dad’s old Quidditch programs, you might know just as much as I did.” Rose motioned for them to lean in closer. “Uncle Harry was raised by Muggles! His mum’s sister and husband. They were called the Dursleys. He lived with them until he got his letter and then for summer holidays until he turned seventeen and had to …you know…”

“Face You-Know-Who to avenge his parents and save the wizarding world from the Dark Lord,” Lily and Hugo chorused.

“Exactly, and from what I’ve heard people say, they weren’t very nice to Uncle Harry. _Especially_ that cousin of his, Dudley. They hated magic and everything to do with the wizarding world. I’ve even heard my dad say that they _wanted_ You-Know-Who to _kill_ Uncle Harry in the final battle and they were quite _put out_ when Uncle Harry survived at all! _I_ can’t imagine that that Petunia is any better. I’ll bet she’s a horrid little prig. I hope she doesn’t get into Gryffindor.” Rose sniffed so hard that Lily could have sworn Rose’s nose inverted a little. As she stalked away to go stand by her own parents, Lily and Hugo looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

“‘Pays attention’. Pfft. ‘Eavesdrop’ is more like it. She’s such a little gossip.” Always one to back up Lily and take swipes at his sister, Hugo asked Lily, “What did you think? Do you like her? Think she’ll be alright?”

“I don’t know, Hugo. She talks a lot and seems a bit daft. She reminds me of Aunt Muriel – always saying just what’s on her mind and not really thinking about it.” Lily shrugged. “I guess we’ll see.” 

“Lily, is this your cousin?” Lily turned around to find Petunia standing behind her. “Hi! I’m Petunia! I just learned that we’re cousins, too! I’m so excited! Hopefully…”

Petunia’s litany was cut off by the loud whistle from the patiently waiting train. Lily’s brothers quickly grabbed her trunk and owl cage and threw them into the nearest car. Her mum came over and knelt down next to her.

“Good luck, honey. Write as soon as you get there and let us know if you need anything. I reckon Grandma will be sending you a tin of biscuits and her love very soon.” Lily’s mum grabbed her into a hard hug and kissed Lily on the ear. “My big girl. I’m so proud of you. Do well in your lessons and remember: Neville can always help.” Lily’s mum let her go, but not before Lily caught the teary glint her mum always got when sending the boys off to school.

Lily’s dad came up to her then and knelt down in front of her. “Well. Your mother already mentioned the biscuits and Grandma and Neville. I love you too and I’ll miss having you around every day. The boys just don’t help me in the garden as much as you do.” He smiled at her and Lily threw his arms around his neck and hugged him so hard she knocked his glasses askew.

“Dad, what about Petunia? Is she really my cousin? I have so many questions now.”

“She really is your cousin. And Albus’ and James’. Owl me your questions and I’ll answer them as best I can. Be nice to her and be her friend. She’ll probably really need one. Okay?”

“Okay, Dad.” She let go of his neck and sniffed back her tears. Young women who went through ticket barriers on their own most certainly did _not_ cry when saying goodbye to their parents. “I’ll write as soon as I get there and get sorted. I love you.”

“Love you too, Lils.” 

Lily boarded the train behind Petunia and turned as the train started pulling away. Her father, mother, Uncle Ron, and Aunt Hermione were standing in a very tight foursome, waving and blowing kisses to their children. It was such a familiar sight to Lily that she instead focused on the tall, blonde man called Dudders. He waved both arms at Petunia with such abandon that Lily was surprised that he didn’t lift right off the platform and fly like a bird.

“He’s really kind of silly, my dad,” Petunia said. “My mum died a few years ago and we went to live with Grandma and Granddad. He hasn’t really let me out of his sight since. He’s going to miss me something awful.” Petunia paused and sighed, her shoulders slumped for just a moment. Then, straightening back up, she said, “Let’s go see where we’re sitting! I want to hear everything about Hogwarts and your family and just everything you can tell me!”

Lily followed her new-found cousin through the corridor of the train to the compartment the boys and Rose had picked out earlier. She took a seat next to Petunia, who was showing Rose what books she bought at Flourish & Blotts. Lily knew that Rose was completely unable to resist books, and soon Rose seemed to have forgotten what she had said about Petunia earlier and was “ooh-ing” and “ahh-ing” over Petunia’s purchases. In particular: a fully illustrated, unabridged copy of _Hogwarts: A History_. James, Al, and Hugo were showing off what they got from Uncle George’s store and making plans to terrorize anyone not fortunate enough to be in Gryffindor. Hugo looked up at her and winked. Lily smiled at her cousin and sank back against the cushions. _Finally,_ she thought. _I’m finally going to Hogwarts._


	2. The Trouble With Dudley

Suddenly aware of several pairs of eyes staring at him (and wasn’t _that_ something? The once-called freaks staring at _him_?), Dudley dropped his arms and thrust his hands into his pockets. Gazing at the dissipating steam from the train, he said wistfully, “First time I‘ve let her stay anywhere away from me.”

Harry, sensing that there was more to Dudley’s sadness than just the departing train and child, clapped Dudley on the shoulder and said, “Rest easy, Dudley. She’s safe. Now that all of the kids know that she’s family, I daresay she’ll have more people looking after her than she thought she’d have or even wanted.”

Harry glanced over to Ron questioningly. Ron shrugged.

“Say, Dudley. Why don’t you come to lunch with us? We can have a bite, maybe a pint, and catch up?”

Dudley shuffled his feet. “Nah. You probably have somewhere else to be.”

“Not anywhere that can’t wait.”

Ginny spoke up for the first time. “Please, Mr. Dursley. Come out with us. We’d love it if you joined us.”

Dudley looked up at the pretty redhead his cousin had married and gave a tremulous smile. “I’d like that. Thanks.”

Ron and Harry led the way, the women following behind them as they chattered away at Dudley, reassuring him that Christmas holidays weren’t far off. Ron quickly cast a _Muffliato_ charm and nudged Harry. “Looks a bit sad, the great lump.”

“Give him a break, Ron. You know what his family was like. He probably had a lot of explaining to do to his parents. In addition, his wife, I imagine. I wonder why she’s not here.”

“Run off maybe? Couldn’t face the weirdoes and freaks?”

“I don’t think so. He looks so …” Harry searched his mind for the right word. “Sad.”

Ron removed the charm as they left the station and went out onto the street. Looking up and down the road, Ron asked, “So, where to?”

Dudley looked around. “Uh … well. I’m not sure where you’d like to go.

Hermione sensed Dudley’s uneasiness. “There’s an Indian place just down Gray’s Inn Road. I’ve eaten there with my parents before and we can walk. It’s a beautiful day.”

Dudley nodded and they set off down Euston Road. 

No one in the quintet spoke much as they arrived at the restaurant or when they sat down and ordered drinks. There was some brief discussion over whether or not the naan was as good here as at other places and if Ron should order just the tandoori chicken, or a spicy curry as well. Eventually everyone had ordered, the menus had been taken, and a very uncomfortable silence settled over them. Finally, Ron spoke.

“So, Dudley. Where’s your wife? She not too keen on Petunia being a witch? Ow!” Ron glared at Hermione who had just kicked him in the shin.

“Actually, Melinda was quite chuffed at Pet being a witch,” Dudley stated quite firmly, his eyes narrowing at Ron.

“How did you discover Petunia was a witch, Mr. Dursley? How old was she?” Ginny asked.

Dudley turned his attention from Ron and looked at Ginny. “Pet was about twelve months old when we noticed that things started just appearing in front of her. At first, we thought it was the dog bringing her stuffed animals to play with, but then one day, while I was sitting at the table and Mel was cooking breakfast, the fridge door burst open, a bottle shot out, and zoomed upstairs to the nursery. We ran up there to see what on earth and there was Pet, happy as a clam, sucking on the bottle.”

Hermione laughed. “That’s almost exactly how we found out about Rosie. It was quite startling for us and we, well, expected her to have magic. How did you and –Melinda, you said? – handle that?”

“Well,” Dudley replied, “at first we just kind of stood there, staring at Pet. Then we just gaped at each other _and_ stared at Pet. And then, well, Melinda started laughing and jumping up and down and clapping her hands.” Dudley smiled. “She looked like a child who had just been given a giant bar of chocolate. Mel said that she had a cousin who was a wizard. I reckon with both of our families having magic genes somewhere, Pet got The Gift, as Mel liked to call it.”

Dudley looked down at his pint, his eyes cloudy. “About four years ago, Mel was pregnant again and had some difficulties. Four months in, she started bleeding and the doctors just could not stop it. We lost her so quickly.” Dudley traced the rim of his glass with his finger.

Ron, appropriately mortified at his own insensitivity, cleared his throat. “Well. That’s ballsed-up. How’ve you been getting on since?” 

Dudley smiled faintly at Ron’s choice of words. “We’ve been getting on alright. We moved in with my mum and dad about two years ago. They’re, well, they’re quite different from the people that Harry knew growing up. My dad retired and likes to putter in the garden and has even been trying to make biscuits. My mum is…it’s hard to explain. She’s softer and a lot less suffocating. However, as Petunia said, she still calls me ‘Dudders’. She was actually the one who carried on about Petunia’s letter from Hogwarts and insisted I let her go.”

“How’d your dad feel about it?” Harry asked, inwardly wincing. He could only too well remember Uncle Vernon’s total rage when it came to Harry’s abilities.

“Well, he…Mum said we shouldn’t push it at him straight off. We’re giving it a bit of time before we tell him. He thinks Pet is off to a girl’s boarding school south of London. Mum reckons we’ll tell him at Christmas.”

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all looked to Harry to say something. Harry was quite at a loss for words. He never thought he’d hear of Aunt Petunia defying or deluding her husband. All throughout his childhood, he always regarded Aunt Petunia as being under her husband’s thumb and just as embarrassed and shameful of the magic that ran in her family. In fact, it seemed that she was even more so than Uncle Vernon – maybe because she knew it laid within her family’s blood and was therefore somehow to blame for Harry’s magic. 

Harry gathered his thoughts and asked, “So who was it that came and spoke to you after the letter came?”

“Bloke by the name of Thomas and one your former professors named McGonagall. They explained to us the options of Hogwarts or letting Pet continue in a norm –er, a non-magical school. They even talked about the options we had if we didn’t want Pet to grow up using her magic. I never knew it was a choice, of sorts. I reckon not too many say ‘No, no thanks. I’ll not be magical,’ huh?”

What made you decide on Hogwarts?” This time it was Ginny who asked. 

“My mum, actually. I wasn’t too keen on letting Pet out of my sight. I admit I’ve clung hard to her since Mel died. I wasn’t at all pleased about the letter. Oh, not because she was magical, but because the school is so far away and she’s never spent a night away from me since she was born. Mum eventually talked me into it. Said it was fate giving _her_ a chance to right wrongs or summat. Next thing you know, she’s the one taking us shopping for cauldrons and quills and robes. She also, well, she’s talking about her sister now. I’ve never heard her say nice things about your mum, Harry. Now, it’s all she says. She’s constantly talking about her wonderful sister Lily and how Pet has Lily’s eyes and how Pet will surely be in Griffy-door. I worry that my mum’s living too vicariously through Pet, but I can’t bring that up. I actually _like_ my mum now. I don’t want to lose that. But I don’t want Pet feeling like she’s got to live up to a really high standard. I just want Pet to be Pet, you know?” Dudley picked up his pint and took a long drink, practically emptying the glass. 

Harry was stunned. This was the most he had ever heard his cousin _talk,_ let alone come close to criticizing either of his parents or divulging such personal feelings. As he looked at the other three, they too, seemed amazed. Ron broke the silence.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, she’ll be right at home around our kids. I mean, come on. Our two were born to the most talented witch in a century, and Harry and Ginny’s kids? Well, hell. Bad enough their mum’s a world-famous Quidditch player, but can you imagine actually having to be the kids of THE Harry Potter? Talk about your high standards. They can all sit around and wish they had been born to normal wizarding families who hadn’t a lick of famous relatives. Like me. The only people I ever had to live up to were Fred and George. No one really expected me to live up to Bill, Charlie, and Percy.” 

Dudley laughed. “Yeah. I reckon that’s the truth of it. Glad you weren’t _my_ dad, Harry.”

 “I reckon we really did set the bar kind of high for our kids, huh?” Ginny said.

Hermione chimed in. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t take Hugo the better part of a decade to finally figure out who he’s in love with.”

“And let’s hope it doesn’t take a mountain troll in the girl’s lav to make Rosie realize she’s an insufferable know-it-all,” Ron responded and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek.

The five of them were laughing uproariously at this point, though Dudley wasn’t sure why, not knowing the stories. 

They finished their meal amid stories of accidental magic by their children, the funniest one being the time that Rose encased Hugo in his cot by surrounding it with all of her teddy bears. 

“Well, serves him right for being so bloody colicky. Poor girl couldn’t sleep.”

When the bill arrived, Dudley put some money on the table and waved away Harry and Ron’s attempts at paying. “No,” he said. “You all have made me feel so much better about Pet going off to school. I insist.”

The five of them gathered themselves up and headed out onto the street. 

“We’re over in the car park off Euston,” Ron said.

“So are we,” said Ginny. “Dudley?”

“I’m parked just here.” Dudley gestured to the car park in front of them.

Hermione shook Dudley’s hand and Ron clapped him on the shoulder. “It was nice to meet you and hear about your family, Dudley. We’ll see you when we pick the kids up in December, yes?”

“Yes. I look forward to it, Ron.”

“Gin, why don’t you walk over with Ron and Hermione? I’ll follow you in a minute.” Harry leaned over and kissed Ginny’s cheek.

Dudley and Harry stood, watching the other three walk away. 

“Look, Dudley, if you need to talk to someone about Hogwarts or just want to grab a pint and get pissed one night, feel free to contact me. We have a telephone and mobiles.” Harry waved his wand under his robes and handed Dudley a piece of parchment. “Seriously, call any time. The first few months are the hardest.”

Dudley felt a lump grow in his throat. There was no reason on earth that his cousin should be this nice to him. 

“Thanks, Harry. I, uh, really appreciate that. And, I know that I’ve never come right out and said it, but I’m sorry. For being such a prat and all when we were young.”

Harry smirked. “No worries, mate. It was a long time ago. We were all prats at some point or another. Take care and call, okay?”

“I will. Thanks again.” 

They shook hands and Harry trotted off to catch up with his wife and friends.

Dudley sighed and thought, _Oh Mel. I really miss you today. I wish you could have been here to see Pet off and to meet Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione. Great people, they are. I wish they could have met you, too._

He glanced up at the sky, blew a kiss, and wandered back to King’s Cross to head home.


End file.
